The Case for
a Minimal (and
Mindful) Closet

“If I haven’t worn something in a month, it goes,” says goop fashion director Ali Pew, taking a near-Darwinian stance on the topic of decluttering. Natural selection plays a key role in Pew’s approach: You see, this woman spends her days in the goop fashion closet, so running a tight wardrobe is her job.

Granted, one month may sound a little extreme—and if you live in a place with seasons, feel free to amend to six months. Even so, donating clothes we once loved can feel a little heartless, and prioritizing which pieces are worthy of hanger real estate can get a little emotional. But bridging the gap between a sappy goodbye and a cathartic release can be as simple as implementing a few positive changes. So if your main thrill in life is a closet makeover, well then, kudos to you. But if you require a bit more hand-holding, here’s a step—okay, six—in a more mindful direction towards a minimal closet.

• 1

• Bring Back the Basics

  If you’ve got the itch to shop, scratch it by investing in fresh everyday staples—from your T-shirt stack to your underwear or sock drawer. It’s the quickest way to breathe new life into your look.

• 
  G. SPORT
  COWL-NECK HOODIE
  goop $145
• 
  KIKI DE
  DRAWSTRING LOUNGE PANTS
  goop, $125;
• 
  RE/DONE
  TEE
  goop, $78
• 
  KIKI DE
  MONTPARNASSE BRA
  goop, $134
• 
  KIKI DE
  MONTPARNASSE BRIEF
  goop, $105
• 
  WOLFORD
  SOCKS
  goop, $29
• G. SPORT COWL-NECK HOODIE, goop $145; G. SPORT
  DRAWSTRING LOUNGE PANTS, goop, $125; KIKI DE
  MONTPARNASSE BRA, goop, $134; KIKI DE
  MONTPARNASSE BRIEF, goop, $105; RE/DONE TEE,
  goop, $78; WOLFORD SOCKS, goop, $29

• 2

• SOMETHING BORROWED

  You know that one beautiful black-tie dress that sees the light of day regularly? Hang on to it. Tight. As for the rest of your party pieces, the ones you’ve worn once, twice, or maybe not at all: Cut your losses. When event-bound, save the closet space and rely on services like Rent the Runway (Unlimited from $159/month) or Armarium (price per garment varies) to take care of your one-off special-occasion needs.

• 

  Photo courtesy of Rent the Runway

• 3

• BANG-FOR-YOUR-BUCK BUYS

  It’s simple math: Take the price tag on any pie-in-the-sky piece—eighteen-karat yellow-gold locket, supple Italian-made boots, classic Chanel bag—and divide by the number of times you’ll wear it (this year alone, or even over a decade). If you’re content with the number you end up with, then the piece is a worthy investment.

  CHANEL HANDBAG, Chanel, $6,200; HOORSENBUHS NECKLACE, goop, $18,600; THE ROW BOOTS, Barneys New York, $1,350
• 
  Chanel
  CHANEL HANDBAG
  Chanel, $6,200
• 
  HOORSENBUHS
  NECKLACE
  goop, $18,600
• 
  THE ROW
  BOOTS
  Barneys New York, $1,350

• 6

• TROPHY PIECE

  Rather than go out looking for the latest and greatest, think about that one item you’d want replaced, time and time again, season after season. In this spirit, we tapped a few goop staffers to share the closet heroes they’d buy in bulk given the option.

• THE ROW SWEATER, Net-a-Porter, $1,920; KHAITE SHIRT, goop, $540; NILI LOTAN
  CARDIGAN, goop, $595; ZESPA SNEAKERS, 24 Sèvres, $352
• 
  THE ROW SWEATER
  Net-a-Porter, $1,920

• “This sweater is the perfect weight and shape and works with just about any pants, skirt, even over a dress—I could wear it the rest of my life. I take it on every trip. It’s put-together enough for dinner but also throws on easily at the beach. And the quality of the cashmere is amazing. But every year, I want a fresh new one—simply because I love it so much! I always stick to my black-and-navy uniform, so I know it will work for life.” —Ali Pew, fashion director

• 
  KHAITE SHIRT
  goop, $540

• “Wear-all-day blouses don’t have a long shelf life. That goes double for pretty pastel ones. For some semimasochistic reason, there’s nothing I love more than wearing a palate-cleansing button-down with jeans and black riding boots. Khaite’s always have subtle feminine twists and turns that perk up the classic look. For now, I’ll save mine for outings that don’t involve spaghetti or red wine, but if I could get my hands on a new one each season, I’d be in heaven.” —Charlotte Ross Canet, creative copywriter

• 
  NILI LOTAN Cardigan
  goop, $595

• “As I’ve had kids, aged, etc., I’ve begun to subscribe to a uniform—it just makes everything easier and my closet more manageable. It’s typically some sort of high-waisted culotte pants or jeans situation, a G. Label T-shirt or button-down of some sort, and a cardigan. I have a grey Rochas cardigan that I’ve worn 156 times this year (yep, 3 times week), and I am eyeing its replacement: This perfect Nili Lotan cardigan that’s an ideal LA weight.” —Elise Loehnen, chief content officer

• 
  ZESPA sneakers
  24 Sèvres, $352

• “I love the look of crisp white leather sneakers, but they never look as pristine as the day you get them, which sends me down a shame spiral. Without fail, I scrape, scuff, and mark them up. I’m accepting my shortcomings and putting them on a replenishment system. I’m obsessed with the ones by Zespa: The leather is buttery soft, and the tongue comes in a deep blue or burgundy to add a bit of polish.”
  —Noora Raj Brown, VP of communications